"I grew up 8 blocks from America's first botanical garden and spent many days playing in the garden while never even realizing it was a public garden. We played under one of the first three Gingkos (Gingko biloba) planted in the US and under one of the oldest trees still alive in the garden, and a Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentuckea) planted at the beginning of the 19th century. When I was a child the garden suffered from years of neglect but over the past 15 years or so, it has been revitalized.

The house has been renovated and the garden closest to the house has been restored. They have even started a nursery that focuses on native plants and is the first nursery on the property since the original nursery ceased production back in the 1850's. My favorite element of the garden and the element that has stuck with me are the large trees. I think playing under so many mature specimens influenced my love of trees especially historic ones.

Also being immersed in all things Bartram, America's first botanist certainly influenced me. Everything from a major street, to the public high school to even the public housing project were all named after John Bartram."

Earlier this year, Edy and Lex worked to clear non-native invasive from the banks of the Little Falls Branch in Bethesda. The Little Falls Watershed Alliance is working in partnership with the Department of Transportation to put in native landscaping. The area is now cleared and ready for spring planting. It will get under-story trees, grasses, and wildflowers. We were happy to help get this area cleared. Be sure to check it out later this spring! 

"I would like to thank you for sending Edy and Lex to help us clear the banks of the Little Falls Branch in Bethesda. Your workers were so enthusiastic, hardworking, and committed to the project. I really can't say enough about them. Let's just say that digging out 12 or so huge bush honeysuckle stumps was their idea of fun. After finishing removing a very large and challenging stump, which I thought would be the last for the day, they went on and dug out another six stumps in the 20 minutes we had before quitting time. They wanted to make sure that they didn't leave anything undone." 

 Sarah Morse, Executive Director of Little Falls Watershed Alliance

The schedule fills up fast.